Lost teeth don't keep Cogliano from clocking in

ANAHEIM -- Six years into his NHL career and Andrew Cogliano has yet to miss a single game. It seems missing a practice is out of the question, even when a logical excuse is for the taking.

Cogliano was on the receiving end of a blatant high stick by Chicago's Brandon Bollig late in the third period of the Ducks' 4-2 victory on Wednesday night. The cost was two front teeth and some blood.

Did that knock Cogliano out of commission? Hardly.

The speedy Ducks winger was back on the ice for his next shift to help close out the victory. And with another day of dental work ahead Thursday, Cogliano jumped on the ice at Honda Center for an optional skate that several veterans took off.

"I like skating before games," Cogliano said, matter-of-factly. "Two teeth gone. What are you going to do? I just got a penalty, right?"

The last part was a thinly-veiled jab at referees Wes McCauley and Dean Morton for not blowing their whistles. A day later, Cogliano could offer up a checkered smile but there was only fury at the time.

"On the draw, I was just standing there," he said. "My stick was even to the side. I understand you try to pick up a guy’s stick. I think [David] Steckel won the draw clean and all I felt was right in the chops. Yeah, it's not a good feeling. That's for sure."

Small in stature with a game built more for speed than brawn, the 25-year-old Cogliano doesn't exactly conjure up the image of Mr. Toughness. But the former University of Michigan star has been in his team's lineup since the opening night of the 2007-08 season.

Friday night's game against Detroit will be the 440th in a row for Cogliano -- third-most for an active player behind Calgary's Jay Bouwmeester and Vancouver's Henrik Sedin. But Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said events like Wednesday show that he's got more "jam" in his game these days.

"I saw him coming back on the bench and he says, 'I'm not leaving now,'" Boudreau said. "There’s four minutes to go in the game and we’re up by a goal against these guys, which proves his character and heart."

To Cogliano, the moment of bravery was all about wanting to finish off the biggest game of the season and one of the most important in a still-young career spent outside the spotlight of the postseason.

"I think it was one of those games where you put so much into it," he said. "I felt like that was probably one of the most high-paced intense games in a while. Or ever in the league.

"It was a close game. I wanted to come back and finish it off. I think it was such a game that you wanted to be in, I don’t think anybody would have wanted to leave."

Every day for Cogliano this season has been a revelation. He is off to the best start of his career with 10 goals and eight assists in 29 games.

It took him all 82 last season to get 13 goals and 13 assists in his first season with the Ducks since coming over in a summer 2011 trade and promptly signing a three-year contract worth nearly $7.2 million.

Known as a player who could create chances but not finish many of them, Cogliano is doing just that while flourshing on a third line with Saku Koivu and Daniel Winnik. Winger Bobby Ryan sees someone who is skating better than ever.

"I think he’s doing well stopping at the front of the net and getting those second and third opportunties that maybe he wouldn’t have in years past," Ryan said. "It comes and goes in the goal-scoring department. But he’s been consistently at the net and made plays for us."

All of this may stem from a couple of heart-to-heart talks Boudreau had with Cogliano, whether in their exit meeting at the end of last season or at Boudreau's hockey camp in St. Catharines, Ontario over the summer.

The two came to an agreement over what Cogliano needed to do to improve his game. One of those things was finding a regular spot for him and keeping him there.

"From day one in the summer, Bruce has been completely up front with me in terms of telling me what he wants and where he wants me," he said. "He told me before we even signed a couple of guys.

"I was at his hockey camp and he reinforced it again. I think that just shows what kind of guy he is as a coach and a person. It makes a guy like me want to just play for him."

In those chats, Boudreau pushed Cogliano to head toward the net more and challenge himself to read situations better on the ice.

"I told him some of the things that he had to do and that I didn’t like about his game and he went and dedicated himself in the summer to doing all of these things and getting really focused," Boudreau said. "He never has to dedicate himself to getting in shape because he’s in as good a shape as anybody.

"But he’s not making the mental mistakes that I thought he made last year. He's more committed in a lot of ways."

Ducks defenseman Sheldon Souray said Cogliano is tougher than he looks and his consecutive-game streak isn't reflective of a player who avoids the tough areas to keep it going.

"People see that he’s a little guy but I played with him for a few years in Edmonton and now here," Souray said. "I've seen him battle through a lot of things that a lot of guys can use as an excuse to not play. He’s a tough little bugger.

"His hockey socks are probably pretty wet at the end of every game. He gets knocked around out there but he keeps getting up."

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.